How do you clean a bike?

**Coyote** · 23rd October 2004, 17:28

How do you clean up your MXer? I always see these dirtbikes that look pretty tidy and we do our best to clean our bikes but cant seem to do it proberly and they end up looking like crap. I heard there's steam cleaning but what equipment do you need for that?

**dhunt** · 23rd October 2004, 17:42

Originally Posted by alarumba

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How do you clean up your MXer? I always see these dirtbikes that look pretty tidy and we do our best to clean our bikes but cant seem to do it proberly and they end up looking like crap. I heard there's steam cleaning but what equipment do you need for that?

Have a look at this thread. http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=5373

**Motu** · 23rd October 2004, 18:15

I know what you mean,my bikes look like crap - cow poo never comes out of white plastic.I spray my bikes with WD40 or similar before I take them out,then water blast off when I get back...it pays to do it as soon as you can,I know you are tired and worn out and need a feed,but if the dirt dryes it will be harder to get off (says he who does it a few days later) A degreaser applied first with take off the WD40 and dirt with it - then squirt again with WD40,my bikes are an oily mess,but keeps them lubed and rust free.

**marty** · 23rd October 2004, 19:40

Originally Posted by alarumba

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I heard there's steam cleaning but what equipment do you need for that?

a steam cleaner is a good start

**soundbeltfarm** · 23rd October 2004, 21:13

i never clean my bike now. ( too lazy)
but when it was new and i was keen.
i used to spray a bit of crc on it before i rode.
then once i got back and just hosed it off and washed and scrubbed it hard.
i would wait till it was dry i would put some euclyptus oil on a rag and wipe it all over the plastics.
bring up and awesome shine.
would smell a bit but just dont use to much.

**Soodog** · 23rd April 2005, 22:20

Deasiel water blaster real easy eh !

**clint640** · 24th April 2005, 19:48

There's no quick way to give a dirtbike a good clean, there's too many nooks & crannies. I waterblast mine (with the pressure turned down around the sensistive areas, ya don't want to blow H2O past any seals) then use a carwash brush & bucket of warm water with dishwash detergent, rinsing it off as I go. Then I give the plastics a dose of armour-all. I'm gunna get a small brush to poke in around the rear shock & suchlike places soon.
More OCD people than me have been known to remove plastics (usually pretty quick on modern dirtbikes) then clean.

Cheers
Clint

**NordieBoy** · 25th April 2005, 20:19

Ahhh, modern.
That'd be pre '85 then

The XR gets a waterblasting about a week after a ride (when my brother finally drops it off at my place) then spray down with wd-40 and a wipe down with a rag.
Run it for 5-10 mins to dry out the exhaust etc and put it away 'till next time.

**StoneChucker** · 25th April 2005, 20:28

Hells Bells...

I get the impression that MX or trail bikes aren't supposed to look shiny and mint like sports bikes. I'd have a big battle on my hands to get used to THAT fact, being partial to the ol OCD.

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**Krusti** · 25th April 2005, 20:40

When my son got his first mx bike one rule was that no matter how buggered or how late it was the bike got washed after every ride, it was never to be parked in the shed dirty....I know it sounds a bit tuff but I was spending $10000 a year on mx bikes for him to race and the least he could do was look after it.

After a while it became second nature and the bikes looked good and lasted.

Helps when you live on a Dairy farm with volume wash hoses and unlimited hot water!

I believe he learnt to respect his bikes and look after them and even now he hates having his RS parked dirty.

1..wash dirt bike as soon as possible
2..spray with silicon spray or WD40
3... Water blasters help
4...Don't look at my farm bike

**F5 Dave** · 26th April 2005, 11:07

CT18 from super cheap or TWL. Goes a long way, gets plastics cleaner than a clean thing & engines/dirt grease removed real well. I use a part cleaner brush ($2 shop or anywhere) to get into places.